National police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said Wednesday he will propose that the government invoke the Internal Security Act to oversee Pitak Siam’s second mass rally beginning on Nov 24 at the Royal Plaza.
Pol Gen Adul admitted that reports that a group of people had contributed a total of six billion baht to a fund for the ousting of the Yingluck Shinawatra government matched information in a Special Branch Police intelligence report.
He said the same group also supported the “anti-government rallygoers”, but declined to give further details.
The initial assessment ewas that most of the attendees at the rally would would come from other provinces. Police had been in direct contact with the organisers of the rally and the issue of whether the protest would be prolonged or how the group would mobilise and control its supporters had been discussed, Pol Gen Adul said.
Security would be tight at all government buildings in the area. Special ladders would be in place along the parliament’s walls for use if an emergency situation arose during the censure debate scheduled for Nov 25-26.
The national police chief said the planned deployment of about 50,000 police during the rally would be subject to change depending on the protest situation. He had emphasised that his men must follow standard operating procedures in handling any violence during the protest.